Sierra Nevada chooses Bitburger Brewery for Oktoberfest 2019 collab

Founder, Beer Street Journal

by Reid RamsayMay 8, 2019

In 2015, Sierra Nevada released an Oktoberfest ahead of the fall season. Instead of simply brewing the beer in the German tradition (releasing it for their on-site fest parties), Sierra Nevada took it a step further. They began collaborating with some of the best German breweries in the world.

The first edition was quite a masterpiece- combining Sierra Nevada’s hardcore brewing quality with Brauhaus Riegele’s 600+ years of brewing experience. A different kind of festbier and you could certainly taste it.

For the 2019 release, Sierra Nevada has selected Bitburger Brewery. Based in Bitburg, Germany, Bitburger lays claim to one of the top breweries in sales volume in their home country. Founded in 1817 by Johann Wallenborn, the brewery’s pilsner sells over 1 million U.S. barrels annually.

This year’s Oktoberfest edition is brewed with Bitburger’s Siegelhopfen (meaning “sealed hops”)—a classified hop blend that has never been shared outside the German brewery walls, according to Sierra Nevada. Additionally, Bitburger offered their signature house yeast, also never shared outside of their own brewing operations.

“We are thrilled to be brewing together with our friends from the iconic Sierra Nevada Brewery. Not only are we united by our passion for exceptional beer and truly unique hop flavors, we also share a long history of transatlantic exchange, leading to this exciting collaboration.” – Jan Niewodniczanski, Managing Director of Bitburger

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest 2019will be available just once in 12-ounce bottles and draft starting in late July 2019.

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